


Among the Butterflies

by SmilingAgain



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha Park Chanyeol, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Hate to Love, M/M, Older Chanyeol, Omega Byun Baekhyun, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Baekhyun, Royalty, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Will tag more as I go, Younger Baekhyun, let me know if i miss anything, prince chanyeol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-03-29 04:25:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilingAgain/pseuds/SmilingAgain
Summary: Byun Baekhyun is the Omega Prince of Aegle, second in line to the throne after his older brother, Crown Alpha Prince Luhan. All Baekhyun has ever wanted to do is help his country, and he finally gets that opportunity, just in a way he never imagined. When Baekhyun's father informs him of his engagement to Crown Alpha Prince Park Chanyeol of Nuri, Baekhyun is thrown into a world of politics, family betrayal, and an unknown traitor in their midst. Add on the fact that Aegle and Nuri are on the brink of war with the kingdom of Rodan, and Baekhyun wonders just how long he will survive in this foreign kingdom.





	1. The World Turned Upside Down

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fic ever and I'm super nervous! I'm still writing this story so if you have any suggestions, feel free to comment them! I lack experience and am unbeta-ed so please make any criticisms constructive! Here's my obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing belonging to EXO or SM Entertainment, only my words. These characters are in no way related to real life people beyond physical appearance and names, this is purely a work of fiction. I don't wish for this work to ever come into contact with anyone related to EXO or SM. This is the only platform and fandom I will be posting this story on, so if you see it anywhere else, let me know and report it. I work full time and am also in college, so I may not be 100% consistent with updates, but I will try my hardest.

Baekhyun is in his normal hiding spot when Luhan comes to find him. He had just escaped from his tutors and settled down in a plush arm chair in a hidden part of the palace’s library with one of his favorite books when footsteps alert him to a new presence. Looking up he sees his older brother, the Crown Alpha Prince of Aegle standing before him with an amused expression plastered on his face.  


“Ditching on your tutors again Baek? You’ll never learn anything at this rate.” Luhan teases lightly.  


“If they were actually teaching me stuff I didn’t already know, maybe I would attend my lessons more often.” Baekhyun replies with a fake air of haughtiness. “I tried to tell Seonsaeng Minho that I’d already read all about the Rodonian Rebellion, but he didn’t believe me!”  


Baekhyun puffs out his cheeks as he pouts, causing Luhan to chuckle and ruffle his hair affectionately. “I know you’re smarter than most of your tutors, but you still need to attend your lessons, even if it’s just to appease Father.”  


Baekhyun’s mood turns sour at the mention of their father. King Byun may be a good king, but he was a terrible father, at least to Baekhyun. He had always taken more interest in Luhan, and once Baekhyun presented as an Omega at 14, he basically ceased to exist as anything beyond a disappointment to the king, almost ten years later and that still hadn’t changed.  


“I don’t think me attending my lessons will change anything about Father’s opinion on me.” Baekhyun mutters. Luhan pulls him to his feet, not needing much effort due to his short stature.  


"Speaking of Father, that’s why I’m here. He has summoned the both of us to a meeting in his sitting room, just the family.”  


“You didn’t have to come all the way here yourself, why didn’t you just send a maid?”  


“I haven’t seen you all day, I wanted to check in on you before we went in, and so you wouldn’t be left alone without me if I ran late.”  


“Always so protective, I think you forget that I’m an adult sometimes.” Baekhyun can’t help but roll his eyes, though he is secretly pleased by the attention his brother is giving him. He’s also grateful he won’t be alone with his parents for any amount of time.  


“It’s so easy to forget you’re full grown when you’re so short!” Luhan teases, hooking an arm around his brother's shoulders. Baekhyun makes a noise of annoyance but fails to remove himself from his brother's hold. Though the moment is happy, a pit of dread forms in his stomach, he has an idea as to what their father wants to talk to them about.  


The brothers arrive outside of the king’s common room, taking a moment to straighten their clothes and hair before gesturing for the door to be opened for them. As they walk into the grand room, the king and queen are sitting together on an ornate couch while servants prepare tea and snacks for the royal family. Baekhyun’s nerves heighten and he subconsciously shrinks slightly behind Luhan’s larger frame.  


They both bow formally towards their parents and wait until they are invited to sit on the couch opposite the king and queen. They all engage in small talk as the staff flits about arranging platters and cups on the table. The king mostly speaks to Luhan, but offers a half-hearted inquiry towards Baekhyun’s studies, to which he replies meekly, a stark contrast between the light-hearted teasing Luhan and he shared earlier. Once the tea is prepared and the staff is dismissed, and awkward silence falls upon the royal family. Baekhyun remarks inwardly that these silences are more common than spoken words between the four of them. The king then clears his throat and looks directly at Baekhyun, causing him to tense again under his father’s unsettling gaze. He grabs Luhan’s hand bracing himself for the words he can imagine are about to come out of his father’s mouth.  


“I called you both hear today to let you know that Aegle is on the brink of war with our neighbors to the northeast, Rodan. Seeing as our military is undermanned and unprepared due to our extended time of peace, we have little hope of defeating them by ourselves.” Luhan opens his mouth to comment, but the king silences him with a raise of his hand. “There is hope though, I have been in talks with the kingdom of Nuri, our neighbors to the southeast and known enemy of Rodan. They have promised their aid should it come to war in exchange for agricultural relief in the wake of a small famine outbreak. We keep their people alive through food, they keep ours alive through military power.”  


Baekhyun starts to relax, thinking that maybe this meeting isn’t about him, as he had thought, when the king then proceeds to turn his world upside down with his next words. “To solidify the treaty, Baekhyun has been promised to Crown Alpha Prince Chanyeol of Nuri. He will leave in a week and they will be married by the end of summer.”  


And just like that, Baekhyun’s heart drops to his stomach. The words which he had so feared to hear, had been spoken. He was to be married, to an unknown alpha in a foreign country in only a few short months. It was the end of spring now, Baekhyun’s birthday was in a month’s time, which meant that he would have less than three months to get to know Prince Chanyeol before they would be bonded for life. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks.  


Luhan, on the other hand, springs to his feet to in anger and starts yelling at his parents. Asking how they could be so blasé about their own son, promising him to a nation they haven’t properly interacted with in generations. That snaps Baekhyun out of his stupor as he attempts to get Luhan to sit back down, his efforts fall on deaf ears though.  


“SILENCE!” The king yells, “I am your father and your king! And you will address me with the respect that is becoming of those two titles! Would you rather the people of both of our nations die? Aside from that, even if I were to go back on my word, we would be facing war from Nuri as well as Rodan, because I have already signed the treaty, and breaking that treaty means war.”  


The king then chuckles in the silence that follows. “Besides we aren’t losing much anyway, we always have a surplus of crops, and its not as if Baekhyun is worth much to us anyway, he can finally be useful.”  


Baekhyun drops the hand that was holding onto Luhan, which allows the elder to storm from the room in his anger, the door closing behind him with a slam. With tears in his eyes, Baekhyun turns back towards his parents, valiantly trying to keep himself together. He meets the king’s eyes and he sucks in a breath.  


“You finally have the opportunity to be useful to me, if you make any attempt to return or fail to marry the prince, you will have a tragic encounter with a group of bandits on your return home and be killed. Do I make myself clear?”  


Baekhyun’s heart breaks as he looks into his father’s eyes, but replies with a strong “Yes, your majesty.”  


“Good now get out of my sight, I don’t wish to see you until your departure.” And with that Baekhyun is dismissed and the trip back to his room is a blur. He barely makes it to his bed before he collapses, finally releasing the tears he had been holding back.


	2. To the Other Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update, yay! I'll try and post at least once a week from here on out, but life may get in the way of that. This chapter is a lot of exposition and story building, so I apologize, but I want you all to see the good relationships Baekhyun has, not just the bad ones. Again, if anything is wrong with spelling or format, please let me know!

A few hours after Baekhyun’s life changed forever, he is buried under multiple blankets on his bed, curled up in a ball. There are tears of sadness, fear, and anger still streaming down his face as he tries to process the situation at hand. He frantically tries to remember everything about Nuri that he has learned, which isn’t much considering the lack of communication between the two countries. He starts with the royal family. Aside from his fiancé, there is King Park Sung-jin, Queen Young-mi, and Princess Yoora. The country of Nuri itself is to the southeast of Aegle, making it warmer and slightly more tropical. While it may be a beautiful country, it has seen its fair share of wars, hence the large military they have. Each of the alpha members of the royal family enter military training as soon as they present, often becoming generals. The royal family has been described as fair to their subjects but ruthless to those who betray or threaten them. The king and queen are said to be strict but loving parents who rule with a gracious yet firm hand. Princess Yoora is the older of the two siblings, but because of her Omega status, is ineligible to claim the throne, but is mated to a high ranking military official named Choi Seung-hyun. She has been described as beautiful and caring, doing a lot of philanthropic work to try and alleviate the strain the past harsh winter has caused. Baekhyun hopes he can make a friend out of her, so there may be hope yet.  


What he has heard of his future fiancé doesn’t sound too horrible, either. Crown Prince Chanyeol is reportedly very handsome, and, if the rumors are true, uses those looks to his advantage with his court’s omega population. So, he’s a flirt and playboy, but there are worse things, Baekhyun thinks. He is supposedly a noble prince, if slightly quick to anger, and an amazing tactician and soldier. He is charming, chivalrous, well educated, and wise for a 26-year-old; everything that should point towards a good mate and husband for Baekhyun. Baekhyun’s tears have slowed now, but the threat of the unknown still hangs over his head like a guillotine.  


He is shaken from his thoughts by a knock at his door and Luhan announcing his presence as he enters Baekhyun’s bedroom. Baekhyun hears Luhan release a sigh and ask one of the maids present to serve their dinner here. The alpha’s feet shuffle across the floor towards his bed. He is jostled slightly as Luhan sits down, and the covers are pulled from his face. Taking in Baekhyun’s still tear streaked face, Luhan is quick to gather his little brother into a hug, allowing Baekhyun to inhale Luhan’s reassuring and familiar scent of eucalyptus. Baekhyun’s own scent of roses and bergamot becomes less overwhelming as he calms down. Eventually, once Baekhyun has stopped crying, they pull apart.  


Dinner for the two of them has been set out in the sitting room attached to Baekhyun’s bedroom, so the brothers take a seat and dig in. Part of the way through the meal Luhan tells Baekhyun of his attempt to change their father’s mind but was once again denied.  


“So there really isn’t anything we can do unless we want to start a war with Nuri.” Luhan states, resignation and guilt obvious in his tone.  


“Thank you for trying, but the last thing I want is to bring harm to innocent people. Besides I’m just happy that my marriage will benefit so many people. I was so scared that I would simply be sold to the highest bidder for something like gold or land, but now… Now I have an opportunity to protect my people and help others as well, which is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”  


Luhan cups Baekhyun’s face, thumbing away the last of his tears. “I wish there were more people as selfless and pure hearted as you, Baek. The world would be a much better place if that were so. Something else did come up with Father though. I don’t like the idea of you going to a different country not knowing or being able to trust anyone, so Father agreed to let your guard and assistants move with you.”  


“I could never ask that of them though! It’s bad enough that I’m being uprooted, I would never want to subject my closest friends to that.” Baekhyun argues against him.  


“The option is there, never the less. It wouldn’t hurt to ask them, I think you would be surprised by their answers. After all, they hold you just as close to their hearts as you do them.” Luhan points out.  


Baekhyun thinks that he has a point. His guard, Zhang Yixing, has been assigned to him since he presented at 14, making their friendship one of almost 10 years. Yixing was 18 and fresh out of graduating at the top of his military class when they met, the two became fast friends, making him one of the people Baekhyun trusts the most. Kim Jongdae and Kim Minseok were sons of Aeglian nobles, they had grown up with Baekhyun in the palace. Jongdae was the same age as Baekhyun and Minseok the same as Yixing. They were always a tight-knit group, so it was a natural next step for them to become Baekhyun’s assistants/advisors when they came of age. The two Kims mated shortly after Jongdae turned twenty, their relationship now three and a half years old. Together the four of them felt more like a true family to Baekhyun than his actual one did, excluding Luhan. Speaking of his brother…  


“I see I gave you somethings to think over.” Luhan stands and leans down to give Baekhyun a kiss on the forehead. “Goodnight Baek, try to get some rest. Things will look brighter with the morning sun.”  


With that, Luhan leaves and Baekhyun prepares for bed. He tries valiantly to listen to Luhan’s advice, but sleep evades him the entire night. He is still awake when the maids come in the next morning, startling them because it is a well-known fact that the omega prince loves his sleep and is almost impossible to wake up in the morning. Once they are over their shock, Baekhyun asks if his assistants and guard are awake yet. When he receives confirmation that they are, indeed, up for the day, he requests their presence as well as breakfast for all of them in his sitting room.  


Baekhyun is quick to get ready for the day, but even with his haste, Minseok and Jongdae are already sitting down in front of a full breakfast spread by the time he exits his room. The two of them are looking at one another, matching expressions of concern on their faces. They seem to be having a silent conversation, and honestly Baekhyun wouldn’t be surprised, the two mates know what every eyebrow raise, or nose scrunch could possibly mean on their other half. When Baekhyun fully enters the room, they stand up and greet him with a hug. Looking around, he notes that Yixing is still not there, just as he is about to ask the others where he is, said alpha bursts into the room in a flurry. His eyes immediately zone in on Baekhyun, seemingly scanning him for anything out of the ordinary.  


When Yixing finds nothing physically wrong with him, he relaxes a little, but still looks worried. “Sorry about my noisy entrance, it’s just that it’s very odd for you to already be awake. You usually sleep at least another hour, so I thought something was wrong.”  


The sheepish look on Yixing’s face forces a laugh out of Baekhyun as he wraps his guard in a fierce hug, then gesturing for him to sit along with the other two. They catch up briefly over breakfast, but once they have all eaten their fill, Baekhyun clears his throat to gain his friends attention.  


There is no easy way to approach the topic so Baekhyun cuts to the chase. “Yesterday, Luhan and I were called into a private meeting with their Majesties. In that meeting we were informed of a threat of war from Rodan, and in order to counter that threat, his majesty has brokered a treaty with the kingdom of Nuri. The treaty is simple, we supply agricultural aid, they become our allies should war break out. It is a mutually beneficial deal for both of our countries, but words are not enough. In order to solidify the treaty, I am to marry Crown Prince Chanyeol by summers end and-“  


He is cut off from there, protests and exclamations of anger are emitted from his friends. Although it is touching to see their anger on his behalf, he silences them with a raise of his hand. “I understand your anger, believe me I do, but there is nothing to be done. Luhan has already tried to change Father’s mind but it is impossible. His majesty has already signed the treaty promising me to Prince Chanyeol and dissolving that treaty would only result in war between Aegle and Nuri. The point of this treaty is to keep our people alive, not kill them in a meaningless war.”  


Somber silence falls over the group of friends. Jongdae is the first to speak up, his voice wet with tears. “I’m so sorry Baek. This is all so sudden, I can only imagine how you’re feeling right now. But… How could his majesty expect you to move completely by yourself when you’ve never so much as visited another court? Not saying that you couldn’t handle it, but why make you face this alone?”  


“That was another thing Luhan tried to fix, but he was successful in this endeavor. The king has agreed to let you all accompany me on this move, but it will be permanent. That’s why I could never ask you all to do that, you’re entire lives are here so-“  


He is once again cut off, Minseok jumping in this time. “No offence intended Baek, but, you are out of your royal mind if you don’t expect us to move with you, even if it is permanent. My home is with all four of us, it doesn’t matter where it is, so long as we are all together.”  


Yixing and Jongdae are quick to agree. The conviction in their words, and the words themselves, move him to tears. Baekhyun’s parents may not love him, but his friend’s love more than make up for it. At the sight of his tears, the others are quick to pull Baekhyun into a group hug. Once Baekhyun has, once again, stopped crying, they separate and sit back down. Yixing, now sitting directly beside Baekhyun, turns to him.  


“You say the wedding will occur by the end of summer, do we leave then?” Baekhyun shakes his head.  


“We leave in a week. The Nurian court probably wants assurance that we won’t back out should Rodan rescind their war threats and having me there until the wedding is the best way to appease them.”  


Minseok springs to his feet immediately. The expression on his face is almost comical. “A WEEK? That’s no time at all! There is so much to prepare!”  


Minseok then grabs Jongdae by the hand, all but dragging him out of the room. Jongdae waves goodbye and yells over Minseok’s mutterings that someone will be by later with a schedule and packing checklist for the prince. At their comical departure, silence falls over the two remaining friends.  


Probably sensing Baekhyun’s unease, Yixing turns to him and seems to consider something before pulling Baekhyun to straddle his lap and pushing his face into his neck to properly scent him. Baekhyun reciprocates by wrapping his arms around Yixing and burying his nose in the Alpha’s neck, inhaling the scent of mint and pine that is so distinctly Yixing.  


After a few minutes Baekhyun adjusts himself so his head is now simply laying on Yixing’s shoulder instead of buried in it. “You know the last time we were in a situation like this you were still courting me, right?”  


Yixing chuckles, still not pulling away. “I do remember, I also remember a few months after that we both came to our senses and realized that the way we loved one another was never going to be on the level required for mating. Our love is more platonic than romantic.”  


Baekhyun giggles and agrees, still basking in the comforting presence Yixing provides. Closing his eyes, Baekhyun reflects on the time he’s known Yixing. He had met Yixing only a few days after his first heat had broken, a freshly presented omega who didn’t know where he stood in the world anymore. Then Yixing came along, the alpha was highly revered for his skill in combat, making him the perfect candidate to protect the omega prince. Baekhyun had hated him at first, he was everything Baekhyun couldn’t be. The ice broke between the two of them when Yixing offered to train Baekhyun in sword fighting and archery in secret. So, a bond of friendship was formed over lessons and walks around the palace and its grounds. Romance began to bloom between the two of them shortly after Baekhyun turned nineteen. They had an ideal relationship, Baekhyun giving his first kiss to Yixing on his twentieth birthday, nearly a year into their relationship. It grew stagnant after that though, the two of them never able to outgrow the puppy love stage and reach that deep love connection that they both craved. The relationship ended mutually in the middle of Baekhyun’s twenty-first year, no hard feelings, just acceptance that they were not meant to be together romantically. That romantic relationship, though, has given Baekhyun a deeper connection with Yixing than even the one he has with Luhan, so Baekhyun is relieved that Yixing is able to come with him to Nuri.  


Now that Baekhyun has calmed down, he and Yixing separate. “You should know, I would have gone with you Baek, even if the king directly ordered me against it. Nothing will ever hurt you so long as I’m around, remember that.”  


With those words, he bows to Baekhyun and excuses himself to go make his own preparations for their departure in a week.  


The week passes by in the blink of an eye. It was filled with packing, preparations, and checklists courtesy of Minseok, as well as Baekhyun’s tutors trying to teach Baek everything there is to know about the kingdom of Nuri and its nobles in the span of 6 days. They were only somewhat successful.  


It’s early morning the day before Baekhyun’s departure for his home when the royal family welcome the entourage that will be escorting Baekhyun to Nuri. The head of the envoy, obviously an alpha by his height, steps forward and introduces himself as Oh Sehun, a personal friend and guard of the Crown Prince. Sehun then gestures to the man beside him, introducing him as Kim Joonmyeon, one of the few omega sons the noble families of Nuri have to offer. He bows to the royals and explains that it was the wish of the Nurian royal family that he become a personal assistant to Baekhyun to help him better adjust to life at Nuri’s court. The king easily accepts the request.  


Sometime later all the preparations are complete, the ink is dry on the last of the documents King Byun had to sign for the treaty. Baekhyun, Luhan, and the guards and assistants are dismissed, and late afternoon sees the group of friends, plus Luhan, gathered in Baekhyun’s sitting room once again. There is a knock at the door and a few seconds later a maid is escorting Junmyeon and Sehun into the room. They both bow towards the princes and Baekhyun invites them to have a seat and letting the know that tea would be served shortly. Joonmyeon happily accepts the invitation.  


“Thank you, your highness. I’m hoping to take this time before we arrive at the Nurian palace to get to know you better and help you with any questions you may have about my home court.” Joonmyeon seems polite, if a little eager, which is fine by Baekhyun who excitedly responds.  


“Of course! Thank you in advance for your help, I look forward to having another friend in an unfamiliar court, it will help to settle my nerves.”  
Joonmyeon is quickly roped into a conversation with the others asking about his life at their new home, when Luhan glances over to see that Sehun is still standing.  


“You are free to sit anywhere you please, Sehun-ssi. I know this group can be slightly overbearing at first.” Luhan gestures towards a few open seats.  


“Thank you, your highness, but I think I’ll remain standing. I’m merely here as protection for Prince Baekhyun, so there is no reason for me to form a personal relationship with him.”  


“I will have to disagree with you there. You see, Yixing, Baekhyun’s personal guard, is also one of his best friends and does his job just fine, but we will respect your wishes.”  


They spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know Joonmyeon better, recounting stories from their childhoods and asking questions about the Nurian court. Dinner is a lively affair for the first time in a week thanks to the celebration of new friendship. After dinner, the guards and assistants excuse themselves to go finalize the preparations for tomorrows departure. Luhan goes to leave as well, but Baekhyun surges forward to trap him in a hug.  


“Please don’t leave me alone for my last night here.” Baekhyun mumbles into Luhan’s chest. “I already know I won’t be able to sleep, let me at least get to spend some more time with you.”  


Unable to say no to his little brother, Luhan caves easily, his own desire to spend more time with Baekhyun overpowering the voice in his head telling him that they really should both go to bed. So, the brother’s pile as many blankets and pillows that they can find onto the floor in Baek’s sitting room, like they did when they were younger, and spend the rest of the night recalling fond memories and funny stories, crying at times, and laughing until they can’t breathe at others.  


“Do you remember that one time I insulted one the alpha ministers at a formal dinner after he told me to ‘know my place as an omega’, and I responded that his nose was by far not large enough to be sticking it into my business, which he took as an insult on his manhood!” Baekhyun barely manages to get out between bouts of laughter. The memory causes Luhan to break into hysterics as well.  


“Of course, I do! That little comment resulted in me spitting the wine I had been drinking all over a visiting duchess!” The brothers fall into one another, overcome with laughter. They both eventually doze off a few hours before dawn.  


Their short sleep is interrupted by maids entering Baek’s rooms to start preparing him for the day. Luhan asks them to give him a few more minutes alone with one another. They both untangle themselves from the sheets, but before Baekhyun can turn to go to his room, Luhan pulls him into a fierce hug, which Baek returns instantly. They stay wrapped in each other for a while, trying to memorize the other’s scent for the last time. Baekhyun then registers the shaking of Luhan’s shoulders and realizes that he is crying.  


“You aren’t allowed to cry today, if you cry, I won’t be able to get into the carriage.” Now crying along with his brother.  


“You’re nuts if you ever thought I would actually be able to keep it together today.” They pull apart slowly, but Luhan cups Baek’s face and wipes away some of his tears, even as they continue to fall from his own eyes.  


“I want you to know that I love you so much Baek, so much,” His voice breaks and he clears his throat. “Just know that there will not be a day that goes by that I won’t think of you and pray for your safety and happiness. I’m sor- I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop this, but if you ever become unhappy or feel as though you’re in danger, write to me and, consequences be damned, I will come and get you. I will always help you if you need me. Write as often as you can, please, it will be the only thing that will keep me sane and assured that you’re alright.”  


“You say you’ll come get me if I’m ever in danger, but watch it be the opposite. After all, I’m the one marrying into a country for their military power.” He jokes and is relieved that Luhan laughs.  


They spend a few more minutes composing themselves, then the maids enter, stating that they need to start prepping Baekhyun, and that Luhan’s own maids are looking for him. Before Luhan exits, he turns to face his brother. “I love you Baek, and remember what I told you, I will always be there if you need me.”  


“I love you too, Lulu, and the same goes for you. I’ll miss you, but I will write you as soon as I’m able to.”  


The door closes behind Luhan and the maids swoop in, fretting over his messy hair and dark under-eye circles.  


The sun is fully risen when Baekhyun is ready, he takes one final look around his room, all his personal touches gone, packed away in trunks downstairs waiting for his departure. He is shaken from his daze when Yixing comes to get him for his formal farewell to the Aeglian court.  


He steps into the court with his head held high for once, after all, this is probably the last time he will be seeing most of these people, best to leave a good last impression. All the nobles and ministers are present, and he stands before his parent’s thrones, Luhan standing to the side. Baekhyun bows in greeting to his parents and rights himself.  


He tunes out his father’s long-winded speech of how this alliance is a new turning point for both Nuri and Aegle, and how he wishes Baekhyun’s marriage well and fruitful. Baekhyun responds with a scripted thank you to the king for the opportunity to serve and help his country, and before he knows it, the king is wishing him safe travels and a final farewell. Baekhyun bows one last time to his family before Yixing escorts him from the room. No hug or declaration of love, not that Baekhyun was surprised.  


They exit the palace to find the envoy completely prepped. Joonmyeon, Jongdae, and Minseok are already seated in the carriage that will transport him to his new home, while Sehun is on a horse directly beside the carriage. Yixing helps him into the carriage but lingers to ask if he is alright.  


“Honestly, no I’m not, but I will be. Don’t worry so much ‘Xing, you’ll go grey early at this rate.” Baekhyun tells him with a small smile, touched by Yixing’s continued concern for him.  


“I’m sorry to interrupt your highness.” It’s Sehun, having come around the carriage. “But we need to leave now if we wish to make it to the designated inn by nightfall.”  


“Of course, we can leave at your word.” Baekhyun steps fully into the carriage, Minseok wrapping his arm around his shoulders, offering support and comfort. Yixing mounts his horse as Sehun moves to the front of the envoy.  


Baekhyun asks for the windows to be opened since it’s such a nice day, which allows him to hear Sehun directing the soldiers escorting them. He explains that it is a five-day journey to Nuri, and they will be stopping at inns at night to avoid bandits, with only a short break at midday for lunch. With that they are off and Baekhyun watches as his old home disappears into the distance.  


The weather stays pleasant over the following days of their journey, so the windows to the carriage stay open, banter flowing freely between Yixing and those riding in the carriage. Sehun once again chooses to merely be an observer to their conversations, despite Baekhyun’s many attempts to include him. Joonmyeon also takes the journey as an opportunity to cram Baekhyun’s brain full of information on Nuri’s nobles, its court, and its proceedings, ensuring that Baekhyun won’t make a complete fool of himself by accidentally offending someone. Over the course of their travels, Joonmyeon becomes even more familiar with the Aeglians, and Baekhyun giddily notes several lingering glances shared between Yixing and Junmyeon.  


Sehun announces when they cross into Nuri, shortly before nightfall on the fourth day. They stop at an inn on the border for the evening. Their last day of travel seems to crawl by but also go far too quickly. Baekhyun notes the beauty of Nuri and its more tropical climate, wishing, not for the first time over the last few days, that Luhan was there to experience this with him.  


The castle comes into view mid-afternoon, and Baekhyun’s nerves join its appearance. He does note, though, that he is far better off than he would have been without Joonmyeon’s help and his friend’s presence. They stop one final time at an inn in the town surrounding the castle, allowing Baekhyun to freshen up and put on more regal clothes, as opposed to his travel clothes.  


It is a short journey once they leave the inn, and before Baekhyun knows it, Yixing is offering his hand to help Baekhyun out of the carriage. He is then flanked on either side by Yixing and Sehun, the alphas escorting him into the palace. His assistants stay behind to help the staff arrange his belongings.  


Sehun directs them to the throne room, and in an attempt to distract himself from his growing nerves, Baekhyun observes the palace around him, his new home. He finds many differences between this palace and his old home. Where his old home seemed cold and closed off, the royal colors of navy blue and silver doing little to warm the atmosphere; Nuri’s palace boasts of a warm and inviting presence, aided by its many windows, flowers, and royal colors of red and gold. The palaces décor is ornate, but not gaudy, displaying the countries obvious wealth.  


They are stopped at the doors of the court room, a guard there instantly recognizing Sehun and telling them to wait while the king is informed of their arrival. They will be announced to the court shortly.  


In an instant the reality of the situation hits Baekhyun causing his knees to go weak and forcing him to grab Yixing’s hand to stabilize himself. Yixing is instantly supporting Baekhyun, but when it becomes apparent that the prince will not faint, he releases the subconscious hold he had on Baekhyun’s waist, though they are still holding hands.  
When Baekhyun starts to mutter about how he can’t do this and that he should just risk his father’s threat and go home, Yixing cups Baekhyun’s cheek to make him look Yixing in the eyes.  


“Everything will be fine, you know that I would never let anything bad happen to you, Baekhyun.”  


Sehun silently observes the whole interaction.  


After a few steadying breathes, Baekhyun squeezes the hand holding Yixing’s, whispering a thank you, and removes the hand on his face. He steps back and straightens out his clothing just as the guard comes back to let them know they will be announced shortly. Baekhyun schools his features just in time for the doors of the court room to swing open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to put off the ChanBaek meeting for another chapter, but this one was getting seriously long, and I wanted to be able to really dive into their first meeting, not just gloss over it. Thank you so much for reading! Comments feed my motivation!


	3. Give Me A Chance?

Baekhyun’s first impression of the throne room steals his breath away from him. It is ornate and regal, draped in rich reds and beautiful golds. The beauty of his new home does not fail to outstand him.

It is, surprisingly, only the royal family that is there to greet him. He takes them in for the first time as he is escorted across the room by Yixing and Sehun. Baekhyun internally wonders what they are feeding their alphas, because the king and crown prince are even taller than Sehun. His eyes then fall on his fiancé for the first time, and he can only think that the rumors were true, he is exceptionally handsome. His figure stands tall and broad, easily a head taller than Baekhyun himself.

He approaches the royal family with his heart in his stomach, hands shaking and clammy. Baekhyun is fairly sure that all those present can smell the fear and distress overtaking his scent. The omega wants to do nothing more than cower behind Yixing, or at least grab his hand for support, but that was not an option, especially in front of his husband-to-be.

Taking a deep breath, he steels his nerves and bows to the royal family, deep and long, to show respect for the people he would soon call his in-laws. King Park Sung-jin instructs Baekhyun to lift his head, as he does so, he meets Chanyeol’s eyes for the first time. He is once again taken aback by the alpha’s handsomeness, even if his eyes are slightly cold.

“Welcome to our kingdom, Prince Baekhyun.” The king greets him. “We are so pleased to see that you have arrived safely. The joining of our countries is something to be celebrated and it brings me great joy to see that you and your family have agreed to marry my son. Until the time that you become an official member of our family, you shall reside here as a ward of ours, but we will still treat you with the respect of your title. I truly hope that you shall come to regard this palace as your home, and us as your family.”

The omega prince is surprised by the sincerity he hears from the king, but he is a little doubtful of its truthfulness, after all his father played the role of doting father to the public all too well, and he was anything but that. He shakes himself out of his thoughts and bows once again to the Nurians.

“Thank you, your majesty. While it would be a lie to say that the ride was comfortable, I enjoyed getting to see so much of your beautiful country, and I look forward to the day that I can call it my own. My family and I once again thank you for your support in the wake of Rodan’s threats and I hope that this union will be a fruitful one for both of our countries.”

“Oh, aren’t you just the cutest!” the queen exclaims, causing Baekhyun to jump, and then lower his head as he feels a blush spread across his cheeks. “We’re so excited to have you here my dear. I’m sure you’re exhausted from your journey, we have prepared your rooms in the royal wing alongside all of us. I hope that this will help you to acclimate and become more familiar with us all, and as my husband said, begin to regard us as your family.”

Princess Yoora then chimes in, letting him know that someone will come and fetch him for dinner, but in the meantime, he should rest and eat the lunch that had been sent to his rooms. He is then dismissed, though he notes that his fiancé didn’t say anything to him. As they exit the throne room, Sehun says his goodbyes, stating that he has to get back to his duties with Prince Chanyeol now that they are at the palace. Junmyeon approaches Yixing and Baekhyun and starts to direct them towards the residential wing.

On the way to his rooms, Baekhyun asks many questions about the royal family to Junmyeon, his arm in the crook of Yixing’s, a source of comfort for Baekhyun, without the intimacy of hand holding, which may be frowned upon by the staff they end up passing.

The walk seems to fly by, but Baekhyun knows that they must have walked for at least 10 minutes to reach his room. When they enter, Baekhyun is awestruck, his rooms are, like most of the palace, colored with gold and red, and filled to the brim with beautiful plants. In addition to the sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom that he was accustomed to at home, two additional rooms have been prepared so that Jongdae, Minseok, and Yixing will be able to stay close to him.

“It was actually the Crown Prince’s idea for those that came with you to stay close by as a source of comfort.” Junmyeon says when Baekhyun asks about the arrangement. “He wants this transition to be as smooth and painless as possible for you.”

The omega is touched by the thought the alpha put into making sure he was comfortable, hope blossoming in his chest for the first time in two weeks. Jongdae and Minseok quickly notice their arrival and come over to them, taking a break from helping the staff arrange Baekhyun’s belongings. They all take a break and sit down to eat the lunch that has been laid out for them.

Not much is said during their meal, all of them tired after their journey. Baekhyun is also still tense from earlier and not sure how to act in front to the staff around them, not wanting them to report anything back to the king that could reflect badly on himself or his friends.

Eventually, they finish eating, and the staff vacate the room on Junmyeon’s orders, taking the dirty dishes with them. Baekhyun sags into Yixing’s side the minute the doors close. The alpha wraps his arm around the prince’s shoulders, further encouraging Baekhyun to lean his weight on him. The omega’s eyes flutter closed on their own accord, the exhaustion from the trip and his frayed nerves being calmed by the familiar scents’ of his friends lures him into the realms of sleep before he can stop himself.

The next thing that Baekhyun is aware of is the fact that he is horizontal now, body stretched along the couch with his head in someone’s lap. That person, who he deduces to still be Yixing, is carding his fingers through the prince’s hair, as his friends’ voices float quietly through the air. Baekhyun floats between sleep and consciousness for an indeterminate amount of time, until he is completely roused from sleep by a rough knock at the door.

There isn’t enough time to even remove his head from Yixing’s lap before a tall figure enters the room. In his sleep addled state, it takes a few seconds to recognize the figure as Prince Chanyeol. In an instant, he realizes that his head is still in Yixing’s, an alpha he is most certainly not engaged to, lap. Baekhyun shoots up as quickly as he can, almost falling over in his haste, but Yixing’s hand reaches out to steady him at his waist as he stands as well. The alpha prince’s gaze immediately falls to the offending hand, his eyes growing even darker.

“Leave us.” Chanyeol’s voice startles Baekhyun. It is deep and commanding, with some of his alpha timbre seeping through. “I wish to speak with Prince Baekhyun alone for a while.”

The assistants instantly follow the order, making their way towards one of the adjoining bedrooms, but Yixing bristles and his grip grows tighter on Baekhyun, subconsciously reacting to a challenge from another alpha. It takes both Jongdae and Minseok tugging at him to break both his hold on Baekhyun and the glare he had directed at Chanyeol. Yixing turns his gaze to Baekhyun then, silently questioning if this is what he wants.

“Yixing, I’ll be fine, go on. You’ll know the moment I’m not, anyway.” Baekhyun murmurs, he then gestures towards where Junmyeon is waiting at a doorway, ready to give the princes some privacy. Yixing casts one last concerned glance towards the omega prince, which Baekhyun returns with a shaky smile, trying to seem more at ease that he truly is, then the door closes behind him.

The air in the room seems to have left along with his friends, and Baekhyun finds himself engaged in an awkward silence with his fiance, keeping his gaze directed at the floor. Prince Chanyeol then clears his throat, causing Baekhyun to look up and meet his gaze. The alpha gives a meaningful glance towards the couch opposite the one Baekhyun is standing in front of.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry!” Baekhyun rushes out as realization dawns on him, “I’m being so incredibly rude, please have a seat, I’m so sorry. I-I, wasn’t expecting a visitor, you truly caught me off guard your highness. Again, I’m so sorry please forgive m-”

Baekhyun is cut off by a silencing hand from the alpha, the omega’s throat closing at the familiar gesture his father was fond of using.

“Clearly you weren’t expecting me, from the blatant display of intimacy that was occurring when I walked in.” The alpha rumbles out. “I don’t care what other relationships you have outside of our marriage, but at least have the decency to be discrete, especially if you are going to stoop as low as fucking the help.”

Baekhyun flinches in surprise, both at the coarse language and the malicious tone with which it was delivered. Processing the words, he once again starts rambling, trying to explain to the crown prince that there is nothing romantic happening between himself and Yixing, but he is once again cut off by Chanyeol.

“Sehun told me of his suspicions, but I didn’t want to draw any conclusions until I had met you myself, but I see now that he was right. In the future you will practice discretion, or I will get rid of the problem for you. The last thing we need are rumors of infidelity before we are even married. I figured, with your country in such a precarious position, you wouldn’t even be considering an affair, but you have proved otherwise.”

“Please, your highness, if you would just listen to me-” Baekhyun tries once again.

“I won’t listen to your pathetic excuses,” Chanyeol actually growls this time. “Just know, that I will send that pathetic excuse of an alpha back to your country if I need to, and if he’s lucky, his head will still be attached to his body.”

With those words, Baekhyun’s veins seem to turn to ice, and he is starting to feel as though his soul is not attached to his body anymore. The alpha goes to leave, but turns back and crowds into the Omega Prince’s space, making their height difference very apparent. He meets Baekhyun’s gaze, eyes dark, but burning with anger, and seems to consider something for a moment before shaking his head and releasing a huff.

The crown prince slams the door as he leaves and Baekhyun sinks to the floor, his legs unable to support himself any longer. Overwhelmed by the events that just occurred and fear for his guard, he starts to hyperventilate. He vaguely registers his friends coming to his side a few moments later, Yixing trying to talk to him, as Junmyeon yells for a doctor. All Baekhyun can do is push Yixing away, trying to keep the alpha out of trouble. His friends frightened words fade away along with his consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm, hi?? I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out, life hasn't been the easiest lately so it's been hard to find time and energy to write. I hope you guys enjoy it, though, and I would love to get feedback, as always! I won't promise an update super soon, but I will try my hardest to not go this long without updating again! I also had a few other little plot bunnies strike me the other day, so hopefully this won't be the only story of mine on here for long! I definitely want to get those almost finished before I start publishing though, so they won't be like this story and have huge gaps between updates. Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you all with the next chapter, hopefully much sooner!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Comments fuel my motivation! Also if you want me to start a tumblr where I can answer questions and things for this story, let me know! Thank you so much for reading!


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